Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: prakash_mib on June 28, 2010, 22:31

Title: peas attacked inside
Post by: prakash_mib on June 28, 2010, 22:31

picked handful of peas yesterday and while shelling it I found almost all the shell had one or two peas bored inside by a larvae. after the heaviest weevil attack, I suspect it is weevil larvae. Any ideas please. couldnt pic it properly but if you spot a larvae at the end of table.. thats the one..
(http://i838.photobucket.com/albums/zz310/prakash_mib/CIMG0051.jpg)

Title: Re: peas attacked inside
Post by: Yorkie on June 28, 2010, 22:37

probably the pea moth larvae / caterpillar  :(

You can normally spot it / its frass (poo) when you shell the pods and not all pods are necessarily likely to be affected.  I just discarded the peas which had been nibbled or poo'd on, and kept the rest.  Just be vigilant when depodding  :ohmy:

Title: Re: peas attacked inside
Post by: prakash_mib on June 28, 2010, 22:43

I know one of the chemicals would stop it. is there anything we could do to stop it without chemicals??

Title: Re: peas attacked inside
Post by: GrannieAnnie on June 28, 2010, 22:47

Don't know how to stop it Prakash, but I believe the moth lays the eggs inside the flower and the little larvae work their way into the pod as it develops then into the peas.

Probably someone will tell me I'm wrong again!!

clever little things, even if they are a nuisance!  :D

Title: Re: peas attacked inside
Post by: Aunt Sally on June 28, 2010, 22:50

Enviromesh will keep the moth away - expensive though  :(  Fleece is cheaper.

They lay their eggs of the foliage Grannie. 

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/techniques/pests/pea-moth.htm

Title: Re: peas attacked inside
Post by: PennyS on June 28, 2010, 23:33

I've got this on some of my peas,  I shelled a load yesterday but of probably 50 pods only a handful were affectd, and only one or two peas in each pod of those that were affected.

I am not going to worry too much, just be very careful when shelling.

I haven't used evironmesh but if I have a bad problem this year as time goes on Imight mesh next year's sowings.

 :)

Title: Re: peas attacked inside
Post by: GrannieAnnie on June 29, 2010, 00:07

Quote from: Aunt Sally on June 28, 2010, 22:50

Enviromesh will keep the moth away - expensive though  :(  Fleece is cheaper.

They lay their eggs of the foliage Grannie. 

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/techniques/pests/pea-moth.htm

See!   told ya!!   :(  Don't know who it was said they laid the eggs in the flowers, but wait til I see them again!!   :D

Title: Re: peas attacked inside
Post by: DD. on June 29, 2010, 05:18

This is a good article on the pea moth life cycle:

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/techniques/pests/pea-moth.htm

Pea moths mainly lay their eggs June to August, one of the reasons I'm not keen on sowing peas late. (Other is mildew).

I prefer to sow late March/Early April, thereby missing the darn thing.